Ron Mann Movies
Award-winning filmmaker Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential) investigates the miraculous world of fungi with this documentary shot largely at the Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado. It was during a conversation with his friend Jim Jarmusch that Mann first learned of the bizarre sub-culture surrounding the mushroom, and once his interest was peaked there was no turning back. Some of the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet are fungi, but where did mushrooms come from, and could they hold secrets that we've yet to discover? Recently, a new breed of maverick scientists have made the claim that mushrooms possess the power to cleanse sites corroded by toxins, and that they could be used as a "clean" pesticide among other things. By traveling to the Telluride Mushroom Festival and speaking with festival president Gary Lincoff, as well as numerous other mycophiles (mushroom aficionados) who frequent the event, Mann reveals why the popular fungus has emerged to become one of our greatest mysteries. A neo-psychedelic soundtrack by The Flaming Lips and campy clips from such features as Attack of the Mushroom People keeps the mood whimsical as Mann explores every wonderful facet of the mushroom kingdom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
- NR
This documentary takes a look at the manifestations of contemporary philosophy through interviews with various figures in the field, who examine these existential issues from the vantage point of lively public places, where everyday people demonstrate their views and values through the most clear and innocuous ways. Some of the guests featured in the film include Cornel West, Avital Ronell, and Peter Singer. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was a genius of outlaw art who took America's obsession with all that is fast, loud and streamlined and built it into an empire. In the 1950's, Roth was a hot-rodder who moved from body work and helping guys fine-tune the look of their jalopies to building unique custom machines. Roth threw out the rule book of conventional automotive design and created fantastic visions of chrome, fiberglass and supercharged engines which took one of America's most conventional consumer items and turned it into a freaked-out vision of post-adolescent cool. Roth was also a gifted cartoonist, and along with his cars he also created freaked-out automotive cartoons which made the artwork in Mad Magazine look sedate; his trademark character was Rat Fink, a maniacal, grinning rodent who was usually seen popping the clutch behind the wheel of one of Roth outlandish cars. Between Roth's crazed automobiles which drew thousands of fans to auto shows, the reproductions of them (in the form of model kits) which sold in the millions, and the Rat Fink and Monster T-shirts (which are still on the market today), Roth was one of the most influential figures in popular culture in the 1960's, and Tales Of The Rat Fink is a documentary by Ron Mann which features interviews with Roth's friends and fans as well as animated sequences that bring his cars and creatures to life on screen. John Goodman, Tom Wolfe, Brian Wilson, Matt Groening, Jay Leno and Ann-Margaret are among those who contributed their voices to the project; acclaimed indie-rockers the Sadies composed and performed the musical score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Documentary filmmaker Ron Mann joined Hollywood actor/hemp activist Woody Harrelson as the thespian traveled up the West Coast preaching the merits of natural, organic living, the result of which is Mann's 2003 film, Go Further. In 2001, Harrelson and a group of friends and other like-minded individuals hopped on bicycles -- accompanied by a psychedelically decorated bus converted to run on hemp-seed oil -- and thus created the SOL (Simple Organic Living) Tour. Along the way, the actor made many stops which ranged from speaking at college campuses to meeting up with 1960s counter-culture guru Ken Kesey (who died not long after). The SOL group encountered a number of people that also lead pro-ecological ways of life, as well as some other folks that were just as skeptical or hostile toward the neo-hippies. Go Further premiered at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson, Ken Kesey, (more)
Experimental cinema legend Stan Brakhage is not exactly a household name; his work is practically unknown outside avant-garde and academic circles. But since 1952, when he was nineteen, he has created over 300 films, ranging from several seconds to several hours, methodically redefining the shape of film art. This documentary, made for Canadian TV, tries to show why he is considered one of the most innovative filmmakers of the last 50 years by exploring the depth and breath of his genius, the exceptional quality of his films and the influence of his work on generations of filmmakers. Director/screenwriter Jim Shedden does away with narration and commentary and instead lets the images speak for themselves. Film excerpts include sequences from works by Brakhage and other avant-garde filmmakers, such as George Kuchar, Jonas Mekas and Willie Varela, as well as interviews and archival footage. What is lacking is a critical analysis. For instance, Brakhage's unpopularity among 1970's feminist film-theorists -- particularly due to his patriarchal image -- is left unexplored. An original score was composed for the film by a long time associate of Brakhage, avant-garde composer James Tenney. Brakhage was screened at the International Forum of New Cinema section of the 49th Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
Woody Harrelson narrates this documentary about the history of marijuana in 20th century America. Beginning with clips from educational films and exploitation pictures that show how marijuana can lead to crime, insanity, and harder drugs, Grass also documents the exploits of Harry Anslinger, who became America's first drug czar and waged a lifelong war against marijuana use in the United States. As the repressive environment of the 1930s and 1940s gave way to the beat era of the 1950s and the hippie uprisings of the 1960s, attitudes towards marijuana became more lenient, and several states relaxed their laws regarding the drug; but the election of Ronald Reagan, and his wife Nancy's famous "Just Say No" campaign, put many pro-pot activists back in the starting blocks. Director Ron Mann takes a decidedly pro-marijuana position in this film, though he does so with more humor than militance (the end credits note "No hippies were harmed in the making of this film"). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson
- 1993
- PG
This documentary shows the evolution of the 1960s dance craze called "the twist." Interviewed are several singers and musicians who contributed to the trend, notably Hank Ballard, Chubby Checker, and Joey Dee. Also shown are clips from TV shows showcasing the twist, such as American Bandstand, and films made to cash in on the fad, such as The T.A.M.I. Show, Go, Man, Go!, and Twist All Night. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chubby Checker
Though aimed at those fastidious comic book collectors who spend exorbitant sums for old DC first editions (only to leave them unread and wrapped in plastic), Comic Book Confidential manages to convey the fanaticism and fun of this hobby to non-aficionados. Canadian director Ron Mann traces the history of the comic book industry, the idiotic purging of so-called violent comics in the 1950s, and the growth of the collectibles industry. Throughout the film, any comic book which does not meet Mann's exacting standards is trashed (Dell and Harvey, beware!) Among those interviewed are Marvel Comics mavens Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and EC mentors William M. Gaines and Will Elder. The underground "comix" movement is represented by Robert Crumb. Though he clearly loves comics, Ron Mann might have more successfully conveyed this with fewer clever camera angles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Barry, Robert Crumb, (more)
- 1985
This is the first Canadian docudrama on the burgeoning AIDS crisis, and perhaps for that reason alone, it is an uneven accounting -- viewpoints on the fatal illness and its victims were still swinging from sneering condemnation to heartfelt compassion, and it may have been too difficult to find one voice and stay with it. Fictional enactments of traumas associated with the sickness, as well as fictional monologs included in the docudrama contrast with the immediacy of the victims' statements as they are interviewed in a variety of settings. In this instance, a straightforward documentary approach might have proved more effective and informative for the public at large. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Roche, David Maclean, (more)
- 1984
Stylistically uneven and filled with symbolism as well as problems such as good music that cannot compensate for the performances of the unprofessional actors, this mix of narration and social commentary by Ron Mann is about a television journalist investigating the unethical practices of a powerful corporation. The company is threatening to shut itself down as a means of obtaining some control over the actions of its stockholders and its workers. Set off against these corporate practices is an inept city council, leaving most of the work of exposing the company's tactics to the reporter. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- P.J. Soles, Michael Glassbourg, (more)
Director Ron Mann has put together readings by 24 different poets (after filming a total of 60 writers reciting their works), and then has poet and author Charles Bukowski verbalize "everyman's" criticisms of poetry: it is boring, irrelevant, self-indulgent, and does not make much sense. Then he counterpoints these statements with dynamic, entertaining, and inspiring works by poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Leroi Jones, Anne Waldeman, Helen Adams and 20 others. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carroll, Charles Bukowski, (more)
- 1981
This jazz documentary features interviews with and music from the pianists Paul Bley and Cecil Taylor, saxophonist Archi Shepp, and trumpeter Bill Dixon. Their innovative styles and sophisticated commentary combine to make an interesting 92 minutes of music education. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Bley, Bill Dixon, (more)
